No Rajput queen danced in front of anyone: Chhattisgarh royal on 'Padmavati'

New Delhi, Nov 15 (IANS) A Chhatisgarh royal says filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali must show “Padmavati” to the Rajput organisations as the film is related to history, and has slammed the way the movie has a song depicting a Rajput queen doing the ‘ghoomar’ dance.

Heena Singh Judeo, daughter-in-law of Dilip Singh Judeo of Chhattisgarh’s erstwhile royal family, told IANS over phone: “Our only demand is that the filmmaker should show us what the movie is, because it is related to the history.”

“History has witnessed that none of the Rajput maharanis has ever danced in front of anyone, and they cannot play with history,” she said, indicating the “Ghoomar” song which features the film’s lead actress Deepika Padukone.

The royal said filmmakers must respect Rani Padmavati “who did Jauhar (self-immolation) with 16,000 ladies, and who gave her life for Rajputana and Hindutva, but they are showing it in another way.

“We are just saying that we should know what they have given in the movie exactly,” Heena said, stressing that Rani Padmavati was like a “mentor to Rajputana ladies”.

The Supreme Court dismissed a plea to stall the film’s release.

On that, Singh said: “All the Rajput community organisations will unite and stand against it (the film). They always show Rajputana love story, they never show whatever they have done (sacrifices). And Sanjay Leela Bhansali always does this. We have also written a letter to the censor board and to everyone.”

Bhansali has earlier said the movie is his tribute to the valour and sacrifice of Rani Padmavati, and has repeatedly clarified there are no scenes that may hurt the sentiments of any community.

Deepika, who essays the Queen in the movie, had told IANS in an interview that she is confident “Padmavati” will release and that the outrage over the film is “appalling.

To that, Heena said: “She is not a Rajput and that is the reason why she is saying like that. She is only looking at her career.”